1. Scope of Invention
This invention relates generally to salon or styling chairs, and more particularly to a footrest assembly with pivotal foot plates which replaces a conventional rigid tubular one-piece footrest of such salon chairs.
2. Prior Art
Salon or styling chairs are widely used by beauticians and other individuals performing a service for someone seated in such chairs. A typical salon chair having a rigid tubular U-shaped footrest is depicted in U.S. Pat. No. 4,995,670 invented by Rodas. This patent additionally teaches a circular hairdresser footrest which is connectable around the base of the salon chair for supporting the hairdresser's foot while working on a customer seated in a salon chair.
However, in order to take a seated position in these prior art salon chairs, the user must either step over the horizontal foot-engaging and supporting portion of the rigid U-shaped footrest or stand in front of the salon chair with the backs of the ankles against the horizontal foot engaging portion and then literally fall backward into the chair. Users with ambulatory problems, particularly the elderly, have a great deal of difficulty both getting into and out of these chairs because of the rigid immovable nature of these conventional footrests.
One attempt to address this problem is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,039,167 wherein Sweet has invented a movable footrest for handicap and styling chairs. This invention discloses a footrest pivotally mounted along the central longitudinal axis of the chair wherein the footrest assembly pivots rearward out of the way while the user is either being seated or getting up from the salon chair. However, the complexity of this invention is somewhat discouraging to economical manufacture thereof.
Another attempt to address to address this problem generally is shown by Sharff in U.S. Pat. No. 4,358,156 teaching a chair for the handicapped and invalids with an adjustable pivotable footrest which can be positioned in useful or out-of-the-way positions. Here again, the Sharff device is somewhat structurally complex and not well adapted for connection to a salon chair.
Incorporated into the present invention is a wheelchair footrest as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,990,744 invented by Rodaway which provides a pivotally mounted footrest 12 held for pivotal motion only on an elongated journalling tube 16 connected at one end and forwardly extending from a lower end of an elongated support tube 13.
A number of other uniquely configured footrests are shown in the following U.S. Patents:
U.S. Pat. Nos.
4,114,613 Kuhn PA2 4,277,660 Lemmer PA2 5,201,568 Christensen, Jr. PA2 5,259,664 Cottle PA2 4,538,857 Engman
The present invention provides a simple and economical to manufacture footrest assembly which is connectable directly onto a bottom surface of an existing salon chair after removal of the conventional U-shaped rigid footrest. Thus, when the invention is installed onto a conventional salon chair, the user may walk directly up to and be seated atop the salon chair without being concerned with either tripping over the horizontal foot support portion of the conventional footrest or having to free-fall backwards into the salon chair.